Victoria

Place:    HMVS Cerberus, Black Rock

Threat: Deterioration and Destruction

Statement of significance

The Cerberus is of international significance as one of the earliest and last remaining ‘Monitor’ style warships in the world. It was purpose built for Port Phillip Bay in 1870 to protect Melbourne and its gold from foreign attack. It was the flagship of the Victorian Navy - the largest of the Australian colonial navies.

Its heavy iron superstructure, and lighter iron hull (in the pre-torpedo era) was a radical departure from the wooden warships that had previously dominated world navies. It was the first British warship to be powered purely by steam, and the first ship in the world to mount rotating gun turrets on a central superstructure.

Description of Threat

The ship sits a few hundred metres off the beach at Black Rock, with most of its superstructure above water. However in the past few years its relatively light metal hull has collapsed under the weight of its heavily armoured superstructure. A recent site investigation report by engineering company GHD concluded that, without prompt remedial action, collapse of the turrets into the main deck is imminent.

Action Required

The stabilisation proposed by the Save the Cerberus Alliance, of which the National Trust is a member, is proposed in two stages: firstly, removal of the guns (at a cost of $60,000), with in situ (underwater) preservation of the guns; and secondly cutting off the collapsed hull and jacking the intact upper section (including the deck) onto piles. Safety requires construction of a coffer dam during works. Because the vessel is only a few hundred metres offshore, the total cost is $5.2 million.

The Save the Cerberus Alliance has attracted international interest. As yet, not one cent of Federal Government grant money has been directed to restoration of the Cerberus, as it was passed over in both the large Bicentenary and the Centenary of Federation heritage restoration projects. Federal support is now needed.